Our Two Cents: Favorite Automotive Smells
Automobiles are a delight for the senses, and not just from how they feel behind the wheel and the sounds they make. Cars can even yield delicious tastes (if you read the book Manifold Destiny and follow its instructions carefully, that is). But we aren’t here to tempt your taste buds—that’s a story for another day. Rather, we’re going to tease your olfactory sensory neurons with smells from automobiles that we simply cannot resist.
I asked the team here at Hagerty Media for their thoughts on the best automotive smells. They dutifully took a wistful inhale through their nose, conjured up the memory of their favorite vehicular bouquet, and took to their keyboards. Do any of their choices tickle your fancy?
Old Car Smell
“Does ‘old car smell’ count? If so, that’s mine. I know that’s kind of vague and will vary tremendously by car, specifically when it comes to cloth vs. leather vs. vinyl interiors and such. But I feel like most people know exactly what old car smell smells like!
It always brings up fond memories of times spent in memorable cars in my childhood. Like most smells, it has that time machine effect. Hard to explain, but I think most of us know that feeling!” – Ben Woodworth
“Older Volvo and old BMW interiors. I could pick those cars out by their distinctive leathery, plasticky smells even if I were blindfolded.” – Eddy Eckart
Gasoline
“I really do love the smell of gas. (When stationary, and pumping it into my car, with ignition off, all those things.) Leaning next to your car at the gas station, listening to the fuel chug into the tank, you get a respite from the activity of the road and can stare off into the distance and contemplate all the places you’ll go thanks to those few minutes of waiting for fuel.
Maybe you’re knocking out household errands, maybe you’re anticipating a road trip to see a dear friend, maybe you’re prepping for fun morning or afternoon of your favorite windy roads. Also, it’s a great time to admire the loop installed into the gas lines to protect them against all those people who yank the line tight to fuel their car from the wrong side. Yes, I’m judging you.” – Grace Houghton
“Nothing quite smells like high octane race gas. It’s addicting once you get your first whiff and its something you notice any time there’s a waft from a car burning it. Simply unbeatable.” – Greg Ingold
Two-Stroke Engines
“Burned two-cycle-infused 110 octane. Best whiffed on the wind and not at great length, it nevertheless screams motorsports fun to my nose. I’ve yet to buy the klotz two-cycle-scented candle for my office, but i keep meaning to.” – Eddy Eckart
“Used differential oil. Mmmm! Gross, not really. But I do love the smell of two-stroke exhaust. There’s something wonderful about that mix, and the fact that it comes with its own distinct ring-da-ding-ding-ding soundtrack is the capper for me. It’s all just so distinct.” – Stefan Lombard
“Second place for me goes to the smell of a two stroke engine. Snowmobiles, or a bike, doesn’t matter, that oily perfume is hard to get over.” – Greg Ingold
Workin’ At The Car Wash
“Reading the question, I was instantly brought back to childhood Saturdays and summers helping my Dad wash and wax his Datsun 240 and 280z, and the scent of freshly sprayed tire shine. I don’t know what sort of fragrances they’re using but it’s sweet and makes you want to grab a fruity popsicle after laboring in the Summer sun. At the time, it could feel like a chore, but now I wish I could fly home to help him ahead of the next car show. (Photo for proof!)” – Dani Brewer
Methanol
“There’s several: Wax with a high carnauba content, aviation fuel, the inside of my helmet, believe it or not; but my all-time favorite has to be burning methanol. It’s used as fuel for some high-strung oval-track cars, like the 900-horsepower World of Outlaws sprinters. When I’m walking into a track and there’s the hint of methanol in the air, I know it’s probably going to be a good night.” – Steven Cole Smith
Fiberglass Resin
“I love the aroma of fiberglass resin. I know it’ll likely kill me, but I think it reminds me of the boat my neighbors had while I was growing up. And I second race gas, but after its been burned.” – Larry Webster
Vintage English Interiors
“I’m going with ‘British car’ — it’s some strange cocktail of leather, stained wood, resin, oil, and stiff upper lip. Like what you imagine a tobacco pipe factory smells like. The scent makes me remember how close, in the grand scheme of things, cars are to horse carriages.” – Eric Weiner
Military Canvas
“Favorite smell has to be earthy odor of OD canvas on WWII military vehicles. All vehicles from the period have the same smell, tanks too because they typically have canvas seat covers. I guess it’s a combination of linen, waterproofing, and mold, but it seeps into your clothes and luggage and anything else made of a soft material. It seems to be unique to military vehicles and for me is the smell of army green and history.” – Aaron Robinson
Toasty Brake Pads?
“Since it’s been a while since I caught a whiff of this smell in a bad situation, I’ll go with hot brakes.
The combination of the hot iron rotors and the concoction of friction material on the pads gives off a very rewarding odor when first pulling off my helmet after parking in the pits. Might be a Pavlovian response to the fun from on track, but paired with the soft plinking of a cooling engine, the smell of hot brakes just tickles the senses just right.” – Kyle Smith
New Shoes?
“As I teenager I loved the smell of new shoes, even if my parents couldn’t buy me the latest Nike Air Max/Jordan that some of my friends had back in the day. But even my cheap Kaepa hi-tops (with the removable logos that came in different colors!) had an intoxicating smell. Sometimes it’d waft from my bedroom closet and serenade my nostrils at night.
I wish I could leave the garage door to my house open for the same effect, because now I go bananas for that new tire smell. Same concept, but new shoes for different feet. I popped on a new set of General white letter radials for my Ford Ranger last week, and those memories all rushed back. It’s a shame the truck sits outside most of the time, but get within a foot of those new donuts and the new shoe smell is impossible to overlook. Or is that over-smell?” – Sajeev Mehta
And The Opposite?
“Hey Sajeev! The next Our Two Cents column should be about the worst automotive smells! My wife would probably be the better person to ask about this, though, as all of us in the TC garage occasionally come home smelling like any of the following: burnt oil, gasoline, 50-year old differential oil, cat pee, dead rodents, exhaust fumes, etc.” – Ben Woodworth
I like the cut of your jib, Ben. We shall make that happen!
New leather and unmixed Bondo. What an aftershave that would be!!!!!
The smell of a newly recored radiator after you shut off the engine.
I have owned a few, and have smelled many, old cars, and don’t really find it to be a pleasant smell. Often distinctive, yes, but not necessarily good. Gasoline, two-stroke exhaust, and a few others that some mentioned, yes. Diesel, on the hand, smells bad, either as oily fuel, or as stinging exhaust.
My first car was a 1969 Beetle in Savannah Beige, with a tan vinyl interior. When the tan upholstery got good and warm, it had a very pleasant smell. I smelled that same scent years later when I left my 1980 Honda C70 in the sun a while on a warm day; it too had a tan seat. Must have been the dye. Two other Beetles had black vinyl upholstery, and did not smell nice at all when warm.
When I read the headline Castrol R came immediately to mind but thinking that America most probably either didn’t have itm or it was called by some other name, so I wasn’t going to mention it. Having read some of the comments re Castrol R oil I have to agree that it’s the best old time smell of all.
The smell British or Italian leather. Open the door to a Mk 2 Jaguar, TR 3, warm leather.
Castrol R, WD-40, hot burnt oil of a 911, rich exhaust, toasted clutch/brakes, electrical smolder (acrid), solder, in the sun hot car interior smell, welding, Sunoco 260/race fuel…
Old gear oil especially from rebuilding a V W Trans axle!
I can still smell my 67 AH Sprite… The leather, wool and horsehair seat stuffing in an old jag is also memorable.
I restore vintage motorcycles for guys now and whenever someone comes to retrieve their parts, they usually comment on how much the like the smell of PPG clear coat. Smells like cancer to me but, whatever.
Just got back from a ride on one of my RZ350’s. Nuff said… It’d going to be a sterile, lifeless world when everything is electric 🙁
My fox mustang definitely smells old. At some point my daughters discovered that our old typewriter smelled exactly the same in the ink area as the inside of my old car
love the smell of the interior of my 66 chevelle, who could forget the old D+L hand cleaner in the blue can
The Little Trees Royal Pine Car Air Freshener
My wife used to sum it up every time we went for a cruise in our restored ’61 Corvette – GTO – gas, tires, and oil.
I was raised in the trucking business. Diesel smoke was a big part of my world, often in the middle of the night. In the right quantity (not too much at once) it’s better than cologne.
How about those green Christmas tree car refresheners hanging off the rear view mirror.
Nothing better than the smell of new tires.